Category Social Sciences

               Swaziland, officially Kingdom of Swaziland is a country in the eastern flank of South Africa, where it adjoins Mozambique.

               The landlocked Kingdom of Swaziland is the last absolute monarchy in Africa. Swaziland became an independent state in 1968, after gaining its sovereignty from the United Kingdom.

               Swaziland is one of the smallest countries in Africa. The name Swazi is the Anglicized name of an early king and nation builder, Mswati II, who ruled from 1840 to 1868.

               According to UNICEF Swaziland has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. The HIV-Aids virus has killed countless Swazis who have left behind thousands of orphans.

               Some 210,000 people, out of a population of 1.2 million, are estimated to be living with HIV. Elections are held every five years to determine the House of Assembly and the Senate majority. The current constitution was adopted in 2005.

               The official languages are Swazi, and English. The currencies used are the South African rand and the Swazi lilangeni.

               Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is a relatively new nation, situated in the eastern half of the island of Timor, at the eastern ‘end’ of the Lesser Sunda Islands, north of the Timor Sea and Australia. The country is bordered by Indonesia in the west, and the Savu Sea in north.

               The capital and largest city is Dili, the spoken languages are Tetum and Portuguese, Indonesian, English. East Timor achieved independence on 20th May 2002, from Indonesia.

               In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control of the territory. Thus, East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century, and joined the United Nations.

               The head of state of East Timor is the President of the Republic, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. Much of the country is mountainous. It is characterized by distinct rainy and dry seasons. The currencies used are the United States dollar, and the East Timor centavo coins.

            The Bahamas are a coral archipelago of around 700 islands and more than 2,000 rocks and cays in the West Atlantic south-east of the coast of Florida, USA, and northeast of Cuba.

            Formerly a British colony the Bahamas became an independent country within the Commonwealth in 1973. About 30 islands are inhabited, the most important of which are New Providence, in the middle of the group, where the capital Nassau is situated.

            The Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas, with an economy based on tourism and finance. The climate is cooler than other countries in the Caribbean region but still pleasantly mild in winter. The yellow elder was chosen as the national flower of the Bahamas because it is native to the Bahama Islands, and it blooms throughout the year. The official language of the Bahamas is English.

            The Bahamas is a constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the Bahamian governor-general who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister.

               Montenegro is a small country in south-eastern Europe. Podgorica is the capital and largest city of the country.

               For much of the 20th century, Montenegro was a part of Yugoslavia and from 2003 to 2006; it was a component of the federated union of Serbia and Montenegro.

               Montenegro became an independent state in 2006, after gaining its sovereignty from the federated union of Serbia and Montenegro. Tourism, steel making, aluminium and food processing represent its major industries. The World Tourism and Travel Council placed Montenegro first on its list of countries where tourism is a strategic industry. Classified by the World Bank as an upper middle-income country, Montenegro is a member of the NATO and UN. The official language is Montenegrin.

               Located in the region of Oceania, an island country Vanuatu covers 12,189 square kilometres of land. It consists of a chain of 13 principal, and many smaller islands. The islands were initially home to the Melanesians for over 2,500 years. Then, in the 15th century, European explorers and missionaries began arriving, and the islands changed forever.

               Vanuatu became an independent state in 1980, after gaining its sovereignty from the United Kingdom. The name Vanuatu means ‘Our Land Forever’ in one of the locally used Melanesian languages. Port-Vila, on Efate, is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre.

               Most of the islands are inhabited; some have active volcanoes. Vanuatu is mountainous and much of it is covered with tropical rainforests. Like most of the area, it is prone to earthquakes and tidal waves.

               In 2015, it was hit by a cyclone which caused widespread damage. The official languages are Bislama, French, and English.

               The state of Qatar is an independent emirate, an Arabic Islamic monarchy, in the Gulf region. It occupies the small Qatar Peninsula on the north-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.

               Before World War II, Qatar was one of the world’s poorest nations. Its main source of revenue came from pearling and fishing. But as oil reserves were discovered and developed in the 1940s, the country attained a high income. Today, Qatar has one of the world’s largest reserves of oil and natural gas. Qatar is classified by the UN as a country of very high human development.

               Arabic is the official language of Qatar. The capital of the country is Doha, and the currency is the Riyal.